ENGLAND WITHDRAWS FROM WORLD BADMINTON MEET IN HYDERABAD

By P. Vijian

HYDERABAD, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- Even before the Yonex-Sunrise World Badminton
Championship is scheduled to begin Monday, the England team has pulled out of
the tournament due to security risks.

"Because of security threats, England has withdrawn all its eight players.
They left this morning. France is also contemplating to leave," said a senior
official of the organising committee in Hyderabad.

Citing India's Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Times of India in its front
page reported that the dreaded Lashkar-e-Taiba might target Hyderabad, posing
serious security threats to the championship.

Security has been intensified at the stadium although city police and Indian
officials repeatedly say there is no threat to security.

But some teams are not taking the Times report lightly, especially after the
incident in Lahore, in Pakistan, last March, where heavily armed gunmen sprayed
bullets on the Sri Lankan national cricket team which was heading to a nearby
stadium for training.

Several players travelling on a coach were injured in the morning shootout.

In 2007, the India Open had to be postponed after three bomb blasts in
Hyderabad, where 30 people were killed. The tournament was held a year later.

In a statement, the Badminton World Federation said the city police had
dismissed the newspaper report on Saturday, and the tournament venue was not a
target for terror elements.

The championship will be played at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium where about
330 players from 44 countries would participate.
-- BERNAMA